viernes, 18 de junio de 2010

Vallabha Acharya

Vallabha

De Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre

Vāllabha Āchārya (1479-1531) fue un pensador religioso indio (āchāria significa ‘maestro [que enseña con el ejemplo]’).

Los ancestros de Vāllabha vivían en Andhra Pradesh. De acuerdo con su hagiografía, “Śrī Thākurji” (Krishna) le dijo en sueños a Yagña Narayana que él nacería en su familia si le realizaban cien soma-yagñas (sacrificios de fuego). Cuando Lakshman Bhatta (descendiente de Yagña Narāyāna) completó estos cien yagñas entonces Vāllabhāchārya nació el undécimo día de la luna nueva del mes lunar de Chaitra (o sea el 4 de abril) de 1479, en el bosque de Champāranya, en Bengal).

Su madre se llamaba Yallamma Garu. Debido al temor y el esfuerzo físico que sufriera su madre, el bebé nació dos meses antes. Sus padres más tarde dirían que como el niño no había mostrado señales de vida, lo habían abandonado bajo un árbol ignoto del profundo bosque, envuelto en una tela. El Señor Krishna se les apareció en sueños y les explicó que él había decidido nacer como su bebé. Apareció un fuego, la madre extendió sus brazos dentro, y extrajo el bebé. Debido a que era muy ‘querido’, lo llamaron Vāllabha.

Discípulo de Vishnú Suāmī, desde muy joven Vāllabha viajó por toda India predicando sus ideas. En la corte del rey Krishnadeva de Vijaya Nagara tuvo tanto éxito en sus controversias con los shaivas (adoradores del dios Shivá) que los vaishnavas (adoradores del dios Vishnú) lo eligieron como su jefe. Luego de recorrer varias veces la India, se asentó en Benarés. Cada año viajaba durante cuatro meses a Vraja Vrindāvan, la tierra de Krishna.

La primera vez que entró en Gokul (Vrindávan), Vállabha se puso a reflexionar acerca de cómo hacer que el pueblo adorara a Krishna, y no a los dioses hindúes. A la madrugada siguiente le preguntó a su mejor discípulo, Dāmodara Dāsa (Damala) si había escuchado alguna voz durante la noche. El discípulo lo negó. Entonces él le contó que había meditado en Krishna y que éste se le había aparecido en la forma de la estatua Śrīnāthjī. Krishna le había dado entonces un mantra en sánscrito, el Brahma Sambandha mantra, una oración para desarrollar la relación con el dios.

Fue el creador de un nuevo método religioso llamado pushti marga (sendero de la devoción), llamado también credo Vāllabha. Luego de su muerte se construyó un hermoso templo en su honor, cerca del templo de Champakeśwara Mahadeva. Es famoso por haber escrito dieciséis stotras (poemas filosóficos) y varios comentarios acerca del Bhāgavat Purāna (que describe muchos līlā (divertimentos) del avatar Krishna), del Vedānta Sūtra, del Mimāmsa Sūtra, del Brahmā sūtra, de la Bhagavad Gītā y de varios Upanishad. Dejó 84 discípulos, de cada uno de los cuales se cuenta alguna historia en ocasiones festivas.

Enseñó una visión no ascética de la religión, y criticaba la automortificación (típica de los vaishnavas y otros seguidores del hinduismo), a la que consideraba una deshonra al cuerpo, el cual —según él— contenía una parte de Dios.

Vallabhacharyaji siguió durante toda su vida tres reglas:

1) nunca usó telas con costura, sólo usaba kaupiná (taparrabos), dhoti (túnica-pantalón) y uparna (una tela que sólo cubre el torso)

2) siempre realizó peregrinaciones a pie

3) siempre vivió en las afueras del pueblo.

Después de casarse, solía contar que había jurado ser célibe toda la vida, pero que el gurú Vitthala Natha (de Pandharipur) le había dado la orden de casarse. Entonces se casó con una mujer llamada Mahā Kanya y tuvo dos hijos: Gopīnātha y Vitthala Natha (también conocido como Śrī Gosainji). A sus descendientes se los conoce como Goswami Maharash.

Vāllabha Āchārya falleció en Benarés en 1531. Se cuentan varias versiones de su milagrosa ascensión a los cielos.

Sus seguidores en Mumbai y Gujarāt se hacen llamar mahā-rāsh (‘gran rey’, mal españolizado “maharajá”), y se los considera los epicúreos de la India, debido a su doctrina en contra del sufrimiento.

Obtenido de "http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vallabha"

Categorías: Religiosos hinduistas | Nacidos en 1479 | Fallecidos en 1531

En otros idiomas

Vallabha Acharya

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Akhand Bhoomandalacharya Jagadguru Mahaprabhu Shrimad Vallabhacharyachaji
Shri_mahaprabhuji.jpg‎ (380 × 550 pixels, file size: 19 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Shri Vallabhacharyaji Shri Mahaprabhuji
Full name	Akhand Bhoomandalacharya Jagadguru Mahaprabhu Shrimad Vallabhacharyachaji
Born	1479 Champaranya, India
Era	Medieval philosophy
Region	Indian philosophy
School	Hindu philosophy, Shuddhadvaita, Pushtimarg, Vedanta

Part of a series on Hindu philosophy

Schools Samkhya · Yoga · Nyaya · Vaisheshika · Purva Mimamsa · Vedanta (Advaita · Vishishtadvaita · Dvaita · Achintya Bheda Abheda)
Persons Ancient Gautama · Jaimini · Kanada · Kapila · Markandeya · Patañjali · Valmiki · Vyasa Medieval Adi Shankara · Basava · Dnyaneshwar · Chaitanya · Gangesha Upadhyaya · Gaudapada · Jayanta Bhatta · Kabir · Kumarila Bhatta · Madhusudana · Madhva · Namdeva · Nimbarka · Prabhakara · Raghunatha Siromani · Ramanuja · Vedanta Desika · Tukaram · Tulsidas · Vachaspati Mishra · Vallabha Modern Aurobindo · Coomaraswamy · Dayananda Saraswati · Gandhi · Krishnananda · Narayana Guru · Prabhupada · Ramakrishna · Ramana Maharshi · Radhakrishnan · Sivananda · Vivekananda · Yogananda
This box: view • talk • edit

Sri Vallabhacharya (1479–1531) was a devotional philosopher, who founded the Pushti sect in India,^[1] following the philosophy of Shuddha advaita^[2]^[3] (Pure Non-dualism). Shri Vallabhacharya accepted the 'Acharya' designation of Vishnuswami Sampraday (Rudra Sampraday) upon request of Bilvamangala Acharya, the last Vishnuswami Sampraday acharya before Shri Vallabhacharya. This was after Shri Vallabhacharya won the famous debate of Brahmavad over Shankars. Apart from being the acharya of Vishnuswami Sampradaya, Shri Vallabhacharya also propagated the Pushtimarg upon Bhagavan Shri Krishna's order and thus became the acharya of not only Vishnuswami Sampraday but also Pushti Sampraday.

His holiness is the Acharya and Guru within the Vaishnava traditions as promulgated and prescribed by the Vedanta philosophy. His holiness is associated with Vishnuswami,^[4] a prominent Acharya of Rudra Sampradaya out of the four Vaishnava Sampradayas.^[5] Within Indian Philosophy His holiness is known as the writer of sixteen 'stotras' (tracts) and produced several commentaries on the Bhagavata Purana, which describes the many lilas (pastimes) of the avatar, Krishna. Shri Vallabha Acharya occupies a unique place in Indian culture as a scholar, a philosopher and devotional (bhakti) preacher. His holiness is widely considered as the last of the four great Vaishnava Acharyas who established the various Vaishnava schools of thought based on Vedantic philosophy, the other three (preceding him) being Ramanujacharya, Madhvacharya and Nimbarkacharya. His Holiness is especially known as a lover and a propagator of Bhagavata Dharma. His Holiness was born in Champaranya in India.

[hide]

[edit] Childhood

The ancestors of Vallabha acharya lived in Andhra Pradesh and belonged to a long line of Telugu Vaidiki Brahmins known as Vellanadu or Vellanatiya following the Vishnu Swami school of thought. According to devotional accounts, Krishna commanded his ancestor Yagnanarayana Bhatta that His Holiness would take birth in their family after completion of 100 Somayagnas (fire sacrifices). By the time of Yagnanarayana's descendant Lakshmana Bhatta who migrated to the holy town of Varanasi, the family had completed 100 Somayagnas. Vallabhacharya was born to Lakshmana Bhatta in 1479 A.D. (V.S. 1535) on the 11th day of the dark half of lunar month of chaitra at Champaranya. The name of his mother was Illamma. ^[1]

The period surrounding Vallabhacharya's birth was a tumultuous one and most of northern and central India was being influenced by Muslim invaders. It was common for populations to migrate in order to flee from religious persecution and conversion. On one such occasion, Lakshmana Bhatta had to urgently move out of Varanasi with his pregnant wife. Due to terror and physical strain of the flight suffered by the mother, there was a premature birth of the child, two months in advance. As the child did not show signs of life, the parents placed it under a tree wrapped in a piece of cloth. It is believed that Krishna appeared in a dream before the parents of Vallabhacharya and signified that He Himself had taken birth as the child. According to popular accounts, the parents rushed to the spot and were amazed to find their baby alive and protected by a circle of divine fire. The blessed mother extended her arms into the fire unscathed; she received from the fire the divine babe, gleefully to her bosom. The child was named Vallabha (meaning "dear one" in Sanskrit).^[1]

[edit] Education

His education commenced at the age of seven with the study of four Vedas. His Holiness acquired mastery over the books expounding the six systems of Indian philosophy. His Holiness also learnt philosophical systems of Adi Sankara, Ramanuja, Madhva, Nimbarka along with the Buddhist and Jain schools. His Holiness was able to recite hundred mantras, not only from beginning to end but also in reverse order. At Vyankateshwar and Lakshmana Balaji, he made a strong impression on the public as an embodiment of knowledge. His Holiness was now applauded as Bala Saraswati.^[1]

[edit] Victory at Vijayanagara

At the behest of the great Tuluva king Krishnadevaraya, a sensational debate was conducted at Vijayanagara between the Vaishnavaites of Madhva and Shankarites over the philosophical question whether God is Dualistic or non-dualistic. Vallabhacharya participated in the discussion, considering it as a divine call.

Vallabhacharya, who had earned an epithet of Bala Saraswati, was given the opportunity to discuss the question. The discussion continued for 27 days in the conference hall. The day of victory for Vaishnavas was celebrated with great pomp at Vijaynagara. His Holiness was honoured with the kanakabhishekam ceremony by Krishnadevaraya. The title of ‘Acharya’ and 'Jagadguru' (world preceptor) was conferred on him. His Holiness was given vessels of gold weighing a hundred maunds. Vallabhacharya declined to accept them politely and distributed them among the poor brahmins and the learned only after keeping only seven gold mohurs. They were used for preparing the ornaments of their Lord Govardhananatha.

[edit] Piligrimage of India

Vallabhacharya performed three pilgrimages of India, barefooted. His Holiness wore a simple white dhoti and a white covering to cover the upper part of his body. (known as ‘Upavarna’, literally "upper cloth" in Sanskrit). His Holiness gave discourses on Bhagavata. His Holiness looked very bright, brilliant and his body depicted magnificent brilliance as a celibate. His Holiness gave discourses on Bhagavata at 84 places and explained the subtle meanings of the Puranic text. Even during present day these 84 places are visited by thousands of Hindu pilgrims and are referred to as "Chaurasi Bethak". His Holiness used to stay in Vraja for four months in each year.^[1]

[edit] Acharya

In the traditional Vedantic belief, an Acharya, the leader of spiritual preceptors, is one who has written his personal views and comments on the ‘Brahmasutra’, ‘Bhagavad Gita’ and ‘Upanishads’. Shankarcharya, Ramanujacharya, Nimbarkacharya and Madhvacharya had written their comments and obtained the designation of ‘Acharya’. People then addressed him as Shri Vallabhacharya.^[1]

[edit] Establishment of Pushti Marg (literally, The Path of Grace)

It is believed that when Vallabhacharya entered Gokul, he thought about the important question of restoring people to the right path of devotion. His Holiness meditated on Krishna who appeared to him in a vision in the form of Shrinathji,^[6] deity discovered by Madhavendra Puri and disclosed the 'Brahma Sambandha' (Sanskrit for - "Relation with Brahman, the supreme Godhead") , a mantra of self dedication or consecration of self to Krishna. During that time Damodardasa was sleeping next to him. In the early morning, Vallabha Acharya related this experience to his worthiest and most beloved disciple, Damodardasa and asked him - “Damala, did you hear any voice last night” ? Damodaradasa replied that "I heard something but was not able to understand the meaning of it." Vallabhacharya then explained the meaning of the mantra and at that time he became the first Vaishnava initiated by Vallabhacharya. His Holiness wanted to preach his message of devotion to God and God’s grace called Pushti - Marga. His Holiness undertook three pilgrimages of India. His Holiness performed the initiation ceremony of religious rite by conferring on them ‘NamaNivedana’ mantra or ‘Brahma Sambandha’ mantra. Thousands became his disciples, but 84 devoted servants are most famous and their life has been documented in Pushti Marg literature as the ‘Story of 84 Vaishnavas’.^[1] His Holiness also met Vyas in his Himalayan cave and discussed about Krishna and his flute.

[edit] Family

Vallabhacharyaji strictly adhered to three rules :^[1]

His Holiness would not wear stitched clothes and hence always wore Dhoti and uparna (a cloth covering the torso)
His Holiness always performed pilgrimages bare footed
His Holiness always resided at the outskirts of the village. His sons and their descendants are known as "Goswami Maharajas".

His Holiness was to remain a life-long celibate but the guru Vitthalanatha of Pandharpur commanded him to marry and live the life of householder. Obeying his guru, he married ‘Mahakanya’ and had two sons: Gopinatha and Vitthalanatha (also known as Shri Gusainji).^[7]

[edit] Asura Vyamoha Lila

Based on Pushti Marg literature, in about 1530 A.D., Shrinathji commanded Vallabhacharya to leave the worldly life and to come near Him. It is said that Shrinathji had previously expressed His wish on two different occasions. The third command was accepted by Vallabhacharya as the last verdict. His Holiness reached Kasi and according to Vedic traditions, formally renounced the world by taking Sanyasa and a vow of silence. His Holiness lived in a hut made of leaves on the Hanuman ghat for about a week. His Holiness spent his last days in contemplation of Krishna and suffered agonies of separation from Him. The members of his family assembled near him for his last darshan. When asked about his advice, Vallabhacharya scribbled three and a half Sanskrit verses in the sand by way of counsel. To complete this message, it is believed that Krishna Himself manifested visually on the spot and wrote in the form of a verse and a half. This collection of verses is known as ‘ShikshaSloki’ in Pushti Marg literature. His Holiness entered into the waters of the Ganges on the day of Rath Yatra (A festival that is celebrated on the second or third day of the bright side of the lunar month of Ashadha). People witnessed a brilliant flame as it arose from the water and ascended to heaven and was lost in the firmament. This episode is known as AsurVyamohLila.^[1]

Sri Vallabhacharya represented the culmination of philosophical thought during the Bhakti Movement in the Middle Ages. The sect established by him is unique in its facets of devotion to Krishna, especially His child manifestation, and is enriched with the use of traditions, music and festivals. Today, most of the followers of this sect reside in western and northern India.